Naath
Naath is an island in the Summer Sea, just west of Sothoryos. It is sometimes known as the Island of the Butterflies. Geography Naath is west of the Basilisk Isles and northern Sothoryos. It is located east of the southernmost and largest of the Summer Isles, Jhala, and due south of the Valyrian peninsula. Naath is separated from Jhala and Valyria by large stretches of the Summer Sea. People Naathi have a unique look to them with flat faces, dark skin and golden eyes. They are called the Peaceful People, due to their belief in extreme pacifism. They make music rather than war and kill nothing, not even animals, eating only fruit and never flesh. They are widely sought after by slavers who consider them to make the best slaves. Culture The Naath believe in one god, the Lord of Harmony, who has existed and will exist for all time. He is the source of creation. Naathi revere butterflies as messengers of the Lord of Harmony, charged with protection of the island and its people. These legends come from the butterfly fever that has laid waste to conquerors throughout history. Economy Before the slaver raids intensified significantly after the Doom of Valyria, the Naathi were involved in long-distance trade networks stretching from Essos to Westeros. Given that the island's environment is well-suited for insect life, Naath used to be a major exporter of silk from silkworm caterpillars. The Naathi also exported fine handicrafts and delicate spiced wine. The Naathi's shimmering silks could be found in markets throughout the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities. The slaver raids became so frequent after the Doom, however, that the Naathi abandoned their coasts to take refuge in the hills and forests of the interior. As a result the export trade has largely collapsed in the past four hundred years, and Naathi silks are less and less frequently seen in the world's major cities. History During the height of the Old Empire of Ghis, one of their ships briefly landed in the Summer Isles, alerting their inhabitants that lands and peoples existed beyond their own waters. Explorers from the isles then landed on Naath to the east. The Ghiscari seized Naath three times. The Valyrian Freehold eventually erected on Naath a fort whose ruined walls of fused dragonstone can still be seen. A company of Volantene adventurers built a trade town with timber palisades and slave pens. Corsairs from the Basilisk Isles have landed on the island countless times. None of these invaders survived, however, all falling victim to the butterfly fever, a horrific plague which makes its victims violently spasm and die. The Naathi are immune to this local disease, which is theorized to be carried by the butterflies of the island. The Naathi claim that none of these invaders maintained a permanent presence on the island for more than a single year. A thousand years ago, the ten thousand ships of Rhoynar refugees led by Princess Nymeria stopped at Naath after fleeing from their failed attempt to settle in Sothoryos. The Peaceful People welcomed Nymeria and her followers, but the butterfly fever began to kill Rhoynar by the score, driving them back to their ships. After their brief stop at Naath the Rhoynar passed farther west to the Summer Isles. Slavers and corsairs learned to limit their time on the island, instead capturing the Peaceful People in nighttime raids. The captives were then sold in Valyria and Slaver's Bay. The slaver attacks worsened during the Century of Blood, since Valyria no longer controlled the seas. Unwilling to break their vows of total pacifism, even to defend their homes and persons, the Naathi fled from their coasts to the hills and forests. As a result the silk exports which once flowed from Naath have dwindled away. Recent History In recent years, the ambitious Balarr Trading Family has once again started to send trade ships to the island, although not seeking slaves. Doing trade on a small island just off the shore of the main isle, the Naathi trade silk and spiced wine for ropes and metal workings to assist in building, as well as seeds, dyes and beads, all of which are in high demand. Category:Island Category:Essos Category:Sothoryos Category:Naath Category:Summer Isles